fact-checking
Sign in to saveAlso known as fact checking
Fact-checking is the process of verifying the factual accuracy of questioned reporting and statements. Fact-checking can be conducted before or after the text or content is published or otherwise disseminated. Internal fact-checking is such checking done in-house by the publisher to prevent inaccurate content from being published; when the text is analyzed by a third party, the process is called external fact-checking.
~31 min read
Article
25 sectionsContents
- History of fact-checking
- Types of fact-checking
- ''Post hoc'' fact-checking
- Consistency across fact-checking organizations
- Choice of which statements to check
- Effects
- Correcting misperceptions
- Political discourse
- Political preferences
- Informal fact-checking
- Detecting fake news
- Fake news and social media
- Methodology <!-- Only <5 yr old sources in this section? -->
- Ongoing research in fact-checking and detecting fake news
- International Fact-Checking Day
- Limitations and controversies
- Fact-checking in countries with limited freedom of speech
- Pre-publication fact-checking
- As a career
- Checking original reportage
- Alumni of the role
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Fact-checking is the process of verifying the factual accuracy of questioned reporting and statements. Fact-checking can be conducted before or after the text or content is published or otherwise disseminated. Internal fact-checking is such checking done in-house by the publisher to prevent inaccurate content from being published; when the text is analyzed by a third party, the process is called external fact-checking.
Research suggests that fact-checking can indeed correct perceptions among citizens, as well as discourage politicians from spreading false or misleading claims. However, corrections may decay over time or be overwhelmed by cues from elites who promote less accurate claims. Political fact-checking is sometimes criticized as being opinion journalism.